Manufacture of handles for cutlery



(No Model.) I

S. E. JERALDS & E. R. LAWTON.

MANUFACTURE OF HANDLES FOR GUTLERY.

No. 341,915. Patented May 18, 1886.

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earn STATES Parnnr trier.

SILAS E. JERALDS AND EDIVIN .R. LAIVTON, OF CHESHIRE, CONNECTICUT.

MANUFACTURE OF HANDLES FOR CUTLERY.

EBPECEE'ICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0.3l1,915, dated May 18,1886.

Original application filed March 10, 1884, Serial No. 123,575. Dividedand this application filed September 3, 1885. Serial No. 176,063. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, SILAS E. J ERALDS and EDWIN It. LAWTON, both ofCheshire, in the county of New Haven and State of OOl1 neeticut, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement Pertaining to the Manufac'ture of Handles for Cutlery and the like, of which the following is adescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, where-Figure l. is a view in longitudinal central section of a tubular blankwith closed end. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same, showing its outlinein cross-section. Fig. 3 is a face view oiionc of the taper-forming diesused in the practice of our invention. Fig. 4 is a view in centrallongitudinal section of the tapenl'orming dies closed together. Figure 5is aside view of the blank after it has been tapered. Figure 6 is aviewin cr0ss-section of this blank on plane denoted by line 00 0c of Fig. 5.Fig. 7 is a face view of one of the finishing-dies. Fig. 8 is a view invertical central longitudinal section through the finishing-dies. Fig. 9is a side view of a handle. Fig. 10 is a View of the butt-end of ahandle. Fig. 11 is a view in cross-section of the handle on planedenoted by line g y of Fig. 9.

Our improvement rclates to the special class of handles adapted for usein tablecutlery and the like, which handles, as herein described, form aspecific branch of our manufacturing business, and no further steptoward the adaptation of the handle to its intended use, when combinedwith a blade or tool, is at present done by us.

As relates to our improved processor method of making thewithin-described handle, a specific advantage over the prior art is thatby this method a handle is formed of a hollow seamless tube of sheetmetal with closed end, which handle is tapered and formed to the desiredshape as to outline in cross-section without the aid of a mandrel of anykind or ma terial.

The article produced by the practice of our improved method hasimportant advantages over articles for a similar use in the prior art inthat it is of the peculiar configuration that enables it to be used forhandles in the highest-priced and most desirable class of goods that areput upon the market. Such a handle includes in the highest degree theadvantages of exact adaptation of weight and thickness of metal to thestrength required in the completed article. It is formed of one piecewithout joint, break, or seam. It therefore presents a uniform surfaceof one and the same 'metal, upon which any plate may be deposited withsuperior results in uniformity of finish.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter a denotes what may be termed atubular blank, having one closed end, I), and the other end, I), open.These blanks are drawn from a metallic disk in any well-known manner,and are purchased by us from those making a specialty of such work as adistinct article of manufacture. This blank is of substantially uniformcircular cross-section from end to end, and in the practice of the firststep in our method of making a handle it is held in a suitable tool, andwhile rotated upon its longitudinal axis is fed by degrees between thebody parts 0 c of the taper-forming dies 0. In Fig. 3 is shown a frontface view of one of these dies having the tapered groove 0 extendingcompletely across the die. A corresponding groove is formed in thebody-half a of the taper-forming die, and these dies are secured in ahammer or drop and are brought together in quick succession, strikingupon the blauk,which is tapered to any desired extent toward the openend, as shown in Fig. 5, as it is fedbetween the dies. An alternatemethod of forming this taper is to subject the cylindrical blank tocompression between rolls that lie lengthwise of the tubular blank, orwhich receive it crosswise of the rolls in grooves or dies borne bythem.

As the next step in the practice of our improved method,thetapered blankdis subjected to pressure, or formed by repeated blows in thefinishing-dies 6. These dies, consisting of body-halves e e, have intheir meeting faces a chamber, 0, in which, when the dies are forciblyunited,thetapered blank is compressed so that it conforms substantiallyto the walls of the chamber on all sides.

The resulting outline of the completed handle is shown in Figs. 9, 10,and 11.

ICO

It is evident that our method of making the within-described article isapplicable without regard to thespecific thickness of metal, the outlineand the configuration of the exterior surface, and the details as to thelength and section of the handle are matters limited only by thespecific use to which the finished article is to be put. This ovalhandle in the last step in the process is formed from the taperedcylindrical blank without the aid of a mandrel or interior resistingcore of any kind, advantage being taken of the resistance of the curvedshell of the tube to any change that tends to flatten it, which causesit to fill out the mold in all parts. This is the most important step inour process, as it is a saving in labor and material over methods inwhich a fusible core is used, and such a handle cannot be produced bythe use of a sectional mandrel.

The article produced by our within-described process is not claimedherein, as it forms the subject-matter of our application (of which thisis a division) filed March 10, 1884, Serial No. 123,575, and referenceis hereby made and attention called to our said application.

\Ve claim as our invention- 1. The process of forming hollow seamlesscutlery-handles having a smaller area of crosssection at the blade endthan at or near the butt, which consists in compressing hollow seamlessshells of thin metal to the desired shape in dies, the resistingproperties of the empty shell causing its exterior surface to conformsubstantially to the interior shape of the forming-dies, allsubstantially as described.

2. The within-described method of making tapered and seamless hollowarticles of metal, as knife-handles and the like, which consists infirst forming a cylindrical tubular blank, closed at one end and withoutjoint or seam, then tapering such empty blank by compression orpercussion, and then forming such tapered blank to the desired shape incross-section in a closed chamber between the dies, the resistingproperties of the Walls of the empty shell causing its exterior surfaceto conform substantially to the interior shape of the forming-dies, allsubstantially as described.

3. The method or process of forming a hollow tapered metallic tube withclosed end into an oval shape in cross-section, which consists insubjecting said hollow tube to pressure in a closed chamber betweendies, the resisting properties of the walls of the empty shell causingits exterior surface to conform substantially to the interior shape ofthe forniingdies,

. all substantially as described.

SILAS E. JERALDS. EDWIN R. LAWTON. 'Witnesses:

EDWARD A CoRNWALL, EUNIOE B. CORNWALL.

